Rio Olympics 2016: Games hopeful Jessica Fox fears Zika virus

Olympic hopeful Jessica Fox has expressed her concern about the Zika virus that has cast a cloud over this year's Olympic Games in Brazil.

With the World Health Organisation recently declaring the mosquito-borne virus a public health emergency of international concern, there are genuine fears among Australian athletes about travelling to Rio de Janeiro in August.

Slalom canoeist Jessica Fox, who won silver as a 17-year-old at the 2012 London Olympics, admits the threat is alarming.

"It is a bit concerning when the World Health Organisation release that it is now severe or beyond that," the 21-year-old said ahead of this weekend's Olympic trials.

Olympic trials: Jessica Fox trains at Penrith Whitewater Stadium.

Photo: Peter Rae

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"That is obviously a concern, especially because I always seem to get bitten by mosquitoes. Everywhere I go I'm always the first to get bitten. If I do qualify for Rio I definitely will have some insect repellent in my bag. But I guess the AOC and the IOC will be taking this threat seriously and they will do their best to keep us safe."

Zika is spread by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which also spreads the dengue and chikungunya viruses. The Zika virus generally only causes symptoms in one-in-five people.

While authorities confirm there have been no locally acquired cases reported in Australia, more than 20 "countries of concern" (including Brazil) have been listed which pregnant women and those considering pregnancy have been advised to avoid, after links were made between the virus and microcephaly.

Microcephaly is a condition in which babies are born with abnormally small heads. It can be deadly, or cause intellectual disability.

While there is no vaccine or specific treatment for the Zika disease, all members of the Australian Olympic team will be vaccinated against yellow fever and will be provided with mosquito repellent.

It is unlikely many athletes will be pregnant while competing in the Games, but the AOC will encourage them to consider not participating given the threat.

"I have seen they don't suggest you get pregnant in the two years that follow and that's definitely not on my five-year plan," Fox said.

"I'm not concerned about that in particular but it is a bit of a worry because we obviously don't want it to come back to Australia. At the moment I'm just focused on the process but if I do qualify for Rio I will definitely be looking into the medical side of things."

While the Rio 2016 organising committee insists there is no indication travellers are cancelling their trips to Rio de Janeiro, the Brazilian government is recommending that pregnant women don't travel given the virus has been linked to birth defects in thousands of newborns in South America.

Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff's top aide, Jaques Wagner, said the Zika outbreak that has rapidly spread through the Americas is expected to cause a dip in tourism to countries where the virus is present.

"The risk is serious for pregnant women. For them [travel] is evidently not recommended," Rousseff's chief of staff, Wagner, said on Monday.

Expectant mothers in the early months of gestation are most at risk of infection with Zika, which is thought to slow the growth of the brains of babies at a crucial stage of development in utero.

With the WHO predicting up to four million people could be infected with the virus this year, the AOC is taking the threat very seriously.